Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is going to start for Johannesburg, South Africa, on August 22 (tomorrow) to attend the upcoming BRICS summit.
The heads of government of the BRICS countries, including Brazil, India, China and South Africa, are expected to attend the meeting.
Another influential member of the platform, Russia, will be represented by its foreign minister. Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided not to attend the meeting, apparently to avoid controversy surrounding the case filed against him in the international war-crime tribunal.
Briefing the media about the PM's visit to South Africa, Foreign Minister (FM) Dr A K Abdul Momen said she would attend the Bangladesh Trade and Business Summit on August 23.
The Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) and the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) are jointly organising the summit to focus on business and investment opportunities in Bangladesh.
On the same day, the PM would also attend the regional ambassadors' conference.
The FM said Sheikh Hasina is likely to meet some heads of the governments, but the schedules of those meetings are yet to be confirmed.
Bangladesh along with 20 other countries, including Saudi Arabia Iran, Indonesia, Malaysia and Qatar, expressed their interest to join the BRICS, but the process is stalled for the time being.
Bangladesh became a member of the New Development Bank (NDB), sponsored by the group, in 2021.
The PM would also deliver a speech in the BRICS Africa Outreach and BRICS Plus dialogue on August 24, as a representative of a member country of the NDB.
Representatives from 70 countries are expected to attend the dialogue.
Mr Momen said Bangladesh has urged the developed countries to transfer technology and invest in the developing countries like Bangladesh.
Responding to a question, the FM said there is no scope in law to send BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia abroad for treatment, as she is a convicted prisoner.
"Have you seen anywhere in the world that a convicted prisoner is being sent abroad?"
Replying to another question on a recently published report in the Indian Bengali Daily the Anandabazar, the FM said as India is a matured country, it makes observations with prudence.
The Anandabazar report claimed that India told the US that 'the US steps to destabilise Hasina will not be positive for the security of South Asia'.
mirmostafiz@yahoo.com
